VALENCIA, CA - August 30, 1999-Solid Concepts Inc. announced today that they will be demonstrating several new direct CAD interfaces at the Computer Technology Solutions Exhibition and Conference, being held September 14-16, 1999, at Cobo Center in Detroit, Michigan. These new CAD interfaces will allow non-CAD users to directly view, measure, and markup native CAD part and assembly data on their PCs. Leading manufacturers around the world use the SolidView family of products to make 3D CAD data available to non-CAD users. The new CAD interfaces will enable CATIA, Pro/ENGINEER, SolidWorks, and Unigraphics data to be directly viewed and measured in SolidView. With the unique publishing feature of SolidView, users can create Solid File eXchange (SFX) files from the CAD data to make the 3D information available to everyone using Solid Concepts' free SolidView/Lite software. . The SFX file format, developed by Solid Concepts, is a compact data structure that enables the easy exchange of 2D and 3D CAD data for design collaboration. Unlike other formats, such as VRML or STL, SFX files are highly compact and may contain various security options to protect selected design features. Typical users of SolidView products include purchasing managers, QA inspectors, sales people, shop floor personnel, third-party suppliers, or just about anyone who would normally use 2D drawings to evaluate CAD designs.
"With these new interfaces, manufacturers will find it even easier to reduce or eliminate 2D drawings from their manufacturing operations", said Joe Allison, president of Solid Concepts.
"Previously, engineering organizations were required to create highly detailed 2D drawings in an effort to fully document complex 3D parts and assemblies. Despite their efforts, the resulting drawings were often incomplete or difficult to interpret, which meant that someone had to go back to engineering to clarify the drawing, adding additional time and expense to the product development process. With these new interfaces, SolidView/Pro users can directly read the native CAD data, eliminating the need to go back to engineering", explained Allison.
In addition to the new CAD interfaces, SolidView/Pro also has options for importing IGES and VDA data. Visitors to Solid Concepts' Booth, #2348, will receive a free SolidView CD-ROM which contains full function copies of SolidView/Pro, SolidView, and SolidView/Lite.
SolidView® is a registered trademark of Solid Concepts Inc. Other names are property of their respective owners.
